Device for loading and ejecting capsules



Jan. 12, 1937., KOCH, JR 2,067,573

DEVICE FOR LOADING AND EJECTING CAPSULES Filed June l, 1956 OO OO wf/50@ i INVENTOR Femm/0K Koo/1 Je;

Patented Jan. l2, 1937 DEVICE FOB LOADING AND EJ'ECTING CAPSULES Frederick Koch, Jr.,

Queens Village, N. Y.

Application June 1, 1938, Serial No. 82,880

6 Claims.

This invention relates to loading devices and ,more particularly to an improved and simplified device for loading capsules and the like.

While a great number of capsule illling devices, suitable for hand loading of capsules, have heretofore been devised, they have for the most part not achieved wide or general use for a number of reasons. For example in many cases it is required to load the capsules with powders or other materials which possess an acid characteristic so that when the devices are made out of metal the surface thereof eventually becomes corroded and results in contamination of the filling. If other materials such as wood, ber

and the like are employed they have the additional disadvantage that their surfaces become ,scored as a result of the continued rubbing pressure required to distribute and force the powder into the capsules. After considerable experimentation I have found that it is possible to construct a capsule filling device which is free from the above-noted and other disadvantages. Accordingly lt is one of the prinicipal objects of the present invention to provide a capsule loading device in which at least the powder receiving surface is of a material which is nonmetallic, is acid-proof and which is extremely hard. In carrying out this object, I have found that molded synthetic resinous products such as Catalin and Marblette are eminently well-suited for the purpose.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a capsule loading device which has a minimum number of movable parts and wherein the capsules may be loaded expeditiously and with accuracy.

A feature of the invention relates to a capsule lling device consisting of two plate-like members capable of simple rectilinear relative slid- 4o ing movement to effect ejection of the loaded capsules.

Another feature relates to a two-part capsule loading device, one part comprising a slidable perforated platform having integral means to 45 determine accurately the normal spacing of the platforms so that the capsule tops may be dropped into the perforations with the assurance that their edges will not project above the! platform, and wherein the ejection of the loaded capsules can be effected by a simple rectilinear sliding movement of the platform. As a result of this feature the use of relatively complicated electing means such as screws, cams, inclined 55 guides and the like` is completely avoided, thus (Cl. 22B- 40) increasing the useful life and reliability of the device.

A further feature relates to the novel organization, arrangement and relative location of parts which go to make up a simple, cheaply manufacturable and thereby safe device for loading capsules with medicinal powders and the like.

Other features and advantages not specifically enumerated will be apparent after a consideration of the following detailed descriptions and the appended claims.

While the invention will be described herein, as embodied in one particular arrangement of parts it will be understood that this is done merely for explanatory purposes and not by way of limitation thereto. Accordingly in the drawing.

Fig. l is a top plan view of the improved capsule loading device according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device of Fig. 1, partly in section along the line 2 2, to show the relation of the parts during loading.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of Fig. 1 to show the relation of the parts during ejection of the loaded capsules.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of one end of the slidable loading platform. 30

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the slidable blank for controlling the number of capsules to be loaded.

Fig. 6- is a sectional view of Fig. 4 taken along the line 6 6 thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the loading device comprises in general two main parts I and 2. the part I comprising the supporting base and the part 2 comprising the sliding platform to receive the capsules to be loaded. As shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 6 the platform 2 carriesa set of four pins designated by the numeral 3 for purposes to be described. These pins may be formed integrally with the platform 2 or may be separate members seated and cemented in suitable recesses in the under face of platform 2 as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The base I is provided with a set of four platform guidingrecesses, each recess comprising a transverse perforation 4 communicating with a longitudinal groove 5 in the upper surface of the base. The

.guiding recesses are disposed in the base I so that they are in registry with the pins 3. The platform 2 is provided with rows of perforations 6 to receive the capsules I as indicated in Figs. 55

1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, it being understood that after the capsules are loaded they may be provided with suitable caps 8 as shown in Fig. 3. While the drawing shows the capsule receiving perforations in member 2 all of substantially the same diameter, it will be understood that the perforations may be arranged in groups of different sized perforations to accommodate diiferent sizes of capsules. Preferably the platform 2 is provided around its longitudinal and righthand edges with a raised rim 9 for the purpose of guiding the blank I0 and the 'powder distributing member Il, the left-hand side of member I I preferably being inclined as shown in Fig. 2.

I have found that the best and most satisfactory results are achieved if the parts above described are made from a hard, non-metallic, acid-proof molded resinous product such for example as Catalin, Marblette or the like, and preferably the molded-parts are machined and polished. If desired however, only the platform 2 and the members Il and Il which come in actual contact with the loading` material. may be of this acid-proof resinous product.

'I'he manner of employing the device to load capsules with medicinal powders or the like, is substantially as follows. The platform 2 is placed on the base l so that the pins 3 are situated at the right-hand ends of the corresponding grooves i in which position the platform 2 will be supported in spaced relation to the upper face of base l just the right amount so that when the capsules I are dropped into the perforations E their upper edges are iush with or are very slightly below the upper surface of platform I, as shown in Fig. 2. The blank I0 is then placed upon the platform I to block oif the perforations not containing capsules, and

while the drawing shows the member I0 as rectangular it may, if desired, be in the form of an L. The member Il is moved to the left in accordance with the number of rows of capsules to be filled, whereupon a quantity of the powder is placed on platform 2 in the space between members l0 and Il. Member Il is then moved to the left to distribute the powder over the capsules and the inclined left-hand edge of member Il entrains and forces the powder downwardly into the capsules. The movementbf member Il also levels off the powder in each capsule so that just the right amount is loaded therein. When the capsules have been properly loaded, the member I I is moved to the right, and the platform 2 is slid to the left until the pins 3 register with the perforations 4 whereupon the platform 2 drops to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the capsules are partially ejected as shown in Fig. 3, and suitable caps 8 may be applied thereto. When the. capsules have been capped; they may be removed individually by hand. However, -if desired, the loaded capsules may be lifted bodily with the member 2 since the perforations 6 may be slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the caps 8. The device is then ready to receive and load another batch of capsules in.

the manner above-described.

While specific arrangements and proportions of parts have been disclosed herein Vvarious changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 'Ihus instead of providing a single platform 2 with different size perforations for different size capsules, all the perforations may be of the-same size in any given platform,

and a series of similar platforms with different size perforations may be employed. Likewise a series of separate platforms similar to plat` form 2 may be employed with pins similar to pins 3 but of different length to correspond to the length of the capsules to -be loaded. As another alternative the pins l may be removable so as to be replaced with pins of different length in accordance with the length ofthe capsules to be filled. Preferably howeverV the pins 3 are permanently fastened in place as above-described and separate platforms with longer or shorter pins are employed.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a slidable platform having a perforation to receive a capsule to be loaded,

a base on which said platform is mounted for horizontal slidingl movement said platform having a plurality of depending projections adapted to ride on the base to support said platform.

a predetermined distance from said base during its -horizontal sliding movement, said base having a plurality of recesses with which, saidprojections are registrable to control the ejection of the loaded capsule.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of .a slidable platform having a plurality of perforations to receive capsules to be loaded, a base iorv supporting said platform and capsules vduring loading, a plurality of downwardly depending projections on said platform for normally spacing the platform and base a. predetermined distance apart and for maintaining said spacing uniform during the sliding movement of said platform, means on said'base for guiding said platform during its sliding movement, said base having a plurality yof remembers are in capsule loading position to space said members a predetermined distance apart, the other of said members being provided with recesses corresponding in number to said projections to allow said members to move toward each other only when said projections are in registry with said projections, said other member being also provided with means forming a pair of parallel guiding edges to engage said projections to guide said slidable member during its sliding movement.

4. In a device of the character described, the

' combination of two relatively slidable members at leasty one of which is of a hardened acidproof resinous material, pins carried by one of said members to space said members apart during capsule loading while allowing said members to slide relatively to each other for capsule ejection, the other of said members being provided with grooves in which said pins ride during said sliding movement, and also being provided with recesses for receiving said pins to allow said members to approach each other only when said members are in capsule ejecting position.

5. In a device of the character described, the

combination of a pair of relatively slidable mein-v 75 bers, one of said members having a plurality o! guiding projections carried by one o! said memcapsule receiving periorations. supporting and bers and slidabiy engaging the other member guiding pins carried by one of said members. to maintain said members uniformly spaced durthe other member being provided with coming their relative sliding movement, the said is pound recesses registering with said pins, each other member being provided with oppositely s of said recesses comprising a longitudinal recess disposed parallel guiding edges to guide said one communicating with atransverse recess, said lonof said members during sliding movement and gitudinal recesses serving as guides during the also being provided with recesses extending perr'elative sliding ot said members. pendicular to the face thereofl to allow said mem- 10 `6. In a device of the character described, the bers to approach each other only when said 10 combination of a pair o! relatively slidable memprojections enter said recesses. bers, one oi said members having a plurality of capsule receiving periorations, supporting and FREDERICK KOCH. Jl. 

